Speed Bumps Should be Haram, Say Clerics in Indonesia

Authorities in Indonesia are reevaluating the use of speed bumps after local clerics demanded the traffic measure be considered haram.

According to Zaini Naim, the cleric in charge of Samarinda, East Kalimantan region, it was imperative that the Indonesian Council of Ulemas issue an official edict labeling the speed bumps either makruh, not recommended, or haram, forbidden.

"Prophet Muhammad once said if someone saw a rock on the street that could harm another road users, it is their obligation to get rid of that rock and any other obstacle on that street to make it more convenient for another users to pass the street," he said, the Jakarta Post reported.

While fatwas aren't legally binding, they give moral guidance for many Muslims. Indonesia is the most populous Muslim country in the world.

According to Hary Prabowo, the head of the traffic section in the region, most of the speed bumps didn't comply with road standards. "People tend to put up speed bumps without even applying for a permit to do so," he said to the Jakarta Post.